Prepare Your Integrations for Upcoming Changes to Google Chrome 80

Upcoming changes to Chrome could impact your tools that integrate with Blackboard Learn including those using Building Blocks, LTI, and REST APIs. Review the details below to determine what actions and workarounds you may need to take.

It’s important to note that this update could impact integrated tools in Blackboard Learn including tools using the Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standard, Building Blocks, and Learn’s REST APIs. With any of these integrations, tools might be using cookies to secure transactions between Learn and the integrated tool. Google’s change in Chrome 80 is to restrict, by default, the communication of information between two domains using cookies unless the browser is informed that the cookie is appropriately secured.

This is to help prevent what is called “fingerprinting,” or unauthorized parties harvesting tracking and personal information that may be stored in cookies, particularly in cases where websites do a poor job of minimizing personal data storage or improperly securing the cookie. In the case of learning tools and environments, including Blackboard Learn, these data are typically stored in the learning environment or tool itself in order to be compliant with regulations covering educational data, and cookies are used for purposes of security and keeping a user’s place as they navigate the learning environment. “Fingerprinting” is generally associated with cookies used for online shopping, social media browsing, and informational or entertainment websites that monetize clicks and user information.

It is important to note that this change in Chrome’s default behavior regarding third-party cookies is not specific to Blackboard Learn or particular tools—it’s about the handling of cookies and will be common to other platforms, learning management systems, and virtual learning environments. We have provided steps to clients to address any integration issues. The first step is to reach out directly to you, their tool provider.

Here are some additional details that may help you resolve the cookie handling issues:

Additional notes:

While this change in default browser behavior is new for Google Chrome, Apple Safari has already implemented a similar behavior. Both Firefox and Microsoft Edge have communicated they intend to make a similar change in the future.

While the timing of this change by Google Chrome coincides with changes being made in Blackboard Learn related to adopting Java 11 in 3800.2 (SaaS Continuous Delivery), 3800.0 (SaaS Flexible Deployment Option), and 9.1 Q4 2019 which can impact some Building Blocks, the two are unrelated. If troubleshooting Java 11 issues with Building Blocks, it will be important to confirm that any compatibility issues are unrelated to this Google Chrome change.